crockery in kitchens. Rice made up his mind to profit further by its
popularity: he determined to publish it. Mr. W. C. Peters, afterwards of
Cincinnati, and well known as a composer and publisher, was at that time
a music-dealer on Market Street in Pittsburg. Rice, ignorant himself of
the simplest elements of musical science, waited upon Mr. Peters, and
solicited his co-operation in the preparation of his song for the press.
Some difficulty was experienced before Rice could be induced to consent
to the correction of certain trifling informalities, rhythmical mainly,
in his melody; but, yielding finally, the air as it now stands, with a
pianoforte accompaniment by Mr. Peters, was put upon paper. The
manuscript was put into the hands of Mr. John Newton, who reproduced it
on stone with an elaborately embellished title-page, including a
portrait of the subject of the song, precisely as it has been copied
through succeeding editions to the present time. It was the first
specimen of lithography ever executed in Pittsburg.

Jim Crow was repeated nightly throughout the season at the theatre; and
when that was ended, Scale's Long Room, at the corner of Third and
Market streets, was engaged for rehearsals exclusively in the Ethiopian
line. "Clar de Kitchen" soon appeared as a companion piece, followed
speedily by "Lucy Long," "Sich a Gittin' up Stairs," "Long-Tail Blue,"
and so on, until quite a _repertoire_ was at command from which to
select for an evening's entertainment.

Rice remained in Pittsburg some two years. He then visited Philadelphia,
Boston, and New York, whence he sailed for England, where he met with
high favor in his novel character, married, and remained for some time.
He then returned to New York, and shortly afterwards died.

With Rice's retirement his art seems to have dropped into disuse as a
feature of theatrical entertainment, and thenceforward, for many years,
to have survived only in the performances of circuses and menageries.
Between acts the _extravaganzaist_ in cork and wool would appear, and to
the song of "Coal-Black Rose," or "Jim along Joe," or "Sittin' on a
Rail," command, with the clown and monkey, full share of admiration in
the arena. At first he performed _solus_, and to the accompaniment of
the "show" band; but the school was progressive; couples presently
appeared, and, dispensing with the aid of foreign instruments, delivered
their melodies to the more appropriate music of the banjo. To